10 Comics to Watch This Week

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It's time for Spider-Man to die!

By Joey Esposito & Erik Norris

Replacing the old-hat Weekly Buyer's Guide is Comics to Watch, a collection of our 10 most anticipated books of the week. As comics grow more expensive, our pull lists shrink. That's why we've streamlined this feature down to suit the needs of the average comic book consumer.

Regardless of publisher, genre, or format -- these are the books that have us feverishly awaiting this coming Wednesday to support our local comic book shop. If you're looking for Diamond's complete shipping list for the week, you can check it out here.

Be sure to sound off in the comments below and let us know what you're excited for.

What It Is: Eisner and Ignatz Award nominee David Hahn writes and draws this five part tale about a 20-year-old art student named Kit who moonlights as a crook. However, while trying to leave that life behind, Kit meets a loner named Martha and her life changes forever.

Why We're Excited: You may know David Hahn best for his illustrating of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane and the Vertigo series Bite Club. But Hahn isn't just a talented artist, he's also a writer. All Nighter actually originated as a series for the short-lived DC Comics imprint, Minx. That imprint only lasted one year, abruptly ending before Hahn got his book out the door. Thankfully, Image has picked up the pieces of All Nighter and is releasing it under their label, finally allowing this talented fellow's work to see the light of day.

What It Is: The unraveling of a murder mystery continues as Batman and his team attempt to find the villain behind recent attacks that somehow tie back to the history of Gotham City.

Why We're Excited: Anything with the words "Snyder" and "Batman" close together is instantly on our radar, and the success of the first issue didn't do anything to sway that opinion. The idea of tying the history of Gotham's families into a present day murder plot is endlessly intriguing. Not to mention, the cover to issue #2 is too cool to handle.

What It Is: The threads of Brightest Day are picked up here, with John Constantine hot on the trail of Swamp Thing, who has taken it upon himself to bring justice to those who've wronged the Green. Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing follows Constantine as he tries to prove to the other heroes of the DCU that Swamp Thing's return is not necessarily a good thing.

Why We're Excited: We're pumped for John Constantine and Swamp Thing's first true interaction with the greater DCU since their return in Brightest Day. These characters have been strictly Vertigo for years, so to see them finally enter the DCU proper once again is extremely exciting. This mini-series will also bridge the gap between Brightest Day and Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette's upcoming Swamp Thing #1.

What It Is: It looks like Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning plan to play off the events set up in their other series, Wonder Woman and the Furies, to show the human side of the struggle in Europe as Lois Lane and her resistance force ready to expose the Amazonians' darkest secrets. How do they plan to do that, you may be wondering? By having Lois attempt to take down the Amazons, that's how.

Why We're Excited: The Flashpoint tie-ins continue to be churned out. But, surprisingly, we aren't upset. So far they have all been rather good. We're hoping for the same fate with Lois Lane and the Resistance #1. And for the record, we're excited to read any book where Lois is a woman of action, instead of just a damsel in distress for Superman to save.

What It Is: "Heart of the Monster" continues as Greg Pak unleashes his concluding arc to his long-running Hulk saga. With Bruce Banner making sacrifice after sacrifice, the time has come for the Green Goliath to take what he desires.

Why We're Excited: The first issue set up a giant brawl with some of the Hulk's most monstrous baddies, and we're hoping that this issue makes good on the promises of a massive throwdown. Of course, the heart that has defined Pak's run is sure to be present as we witness Banner come to terms with all of the changes that have come to pass since Pak took control of his life.

What It Is: The hit indie comic (and soon-to-be movie) returns as Jesus and President Lincoln find themselves in prehistoric times in the middle of a zombie dinosaur onslaught while trying to find a way to get Honest Abe back to his own time.

Why We're Excited: Do we really have to explain? We'll reiterate: Jesus and Abe Lincoln fight zombie dinosaurs. 215 Ink delivers another hilarious installment of the quirky series. If Jesus fighting the undead wasn't enough, the creators up the ante by delivering the one thing that will make us check out any comic at least once: freaking dinos.

What It Is: The threat of Galactus looms over Earth, as the Silver Surfer comes to Asgard to warn Thor of his master's imminent arrival. But it seems Odin is learning some tricks from his son, Loki, as he's currently arranging some nefarious deals behind the back of his people.

What It Is: The search for a killer continues as David Liss and Patrick Zircher continue their exploration of the Depression-era Marvel Universe, introducing a whole slew of pulp-inspired heroes.

Why We're Excited: Issue #1 impressed with its throwback to classic pulp characters like The Shadow and Doc Savage, and the sprawling mystery is interesting to boot. We're hoping the next installment delivers more of the new characters and familiar faces that Marvel championed, but the retroactive look at a very cool period of Marvel's history continues to be a huge highlight for us.

What It Is: To be honest, it's a story that sounds all-too-familiar. A virus is unleashed in a small town, turning its residents into bloodthirsty killers. When the town goes under quarantine, the townsfolk begin to suffer from the ever growing suspicion between one another.

Why We're Excited: Up-and-comer Michael Moreci, whose name you might recognize if you pick up Image's Hack/Slash (he's the co-writer of the Hoax Hunters backup), has crafted a tale that seems to focus as much on the history of the town and its residents as it does the horror. Too many horror comics lose their impact by not crafting fully fleshed characters, but from what we've seen of Quarantined, that's not the case. Here's hoping this is an indie horror blessing.

What It Is: The conclusion of the Death of Spider-Man happens here. As was to be expected, Marvel is being very coy about what this book will actually bring to the table. Is this the true death of Peter Parker, or is it some kind of metaphorical passing? Who knows. But one thing that's for certain is that you'll have to buy the issue to find out, since it's only being offered in a polybagged sleeve to protect your eyes from spoilers.

Why We're Excited: Well, this one seems obvious, doesn't it? This is the death of Ultimate Spider-Man, in some sense of the word. We're excited to find out what actually happens to Peter Parker after taking a bullet to save Captain America's life. If this plays out as advertised, this will be the end of an era.